Centre ice · Local
Centre ice near Matthews
Written for families in and around Matthews, who mostly want to know whether it is worth the drive.
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
If Matthews is home, this is the sort of place you end up returning to rather than ticking off. That changes what a first visit is worth planning around.
Getting there
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
What you will find
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
How long to allow
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
Worth the trip?
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
Questions parents ask
How long before a child leaves the rail?
Some in the first session, some in the fifth. Neither is unusual.
What are the opening hours?
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
Planning your visit in Matthews
Parents from Matthews tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
Two shorter visits teach a child more than one long one. The second time they already know what they want to try, and that is when the good part starts.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
From Matthews the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
The practical details
- XCAV ZONE — 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214: four child-operated machines over a ball pit.
- ICE PARK — 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027: a real rink with bumper cars on the ice.
- Opening hours — 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
- Phone — +1 (424) 387-6232 · +1 (615) 968-4925
- E-mail — info@newlife-entertainment.com
Questions about a specific day, a group or a party are best asked directly - info@newlife-entertainment.com, or either of the numbers on the contacts page.